Evaporation ponds are used around the world to concentrate brine. In such evaporation ponds, it has been found that salt precipitates out and deposits build up. Often, these deposits build up to such an extent that growths or even islands of crystallized salts and deposits are produced sometimes over very large areas of the pond. This seriously reduces the evaporation area of the pond and consequently reduces the production levels of such ponds. The rate of build up of such deposits and precipitants is enhanced even more when growths and deposits are already present in the pond.
The occurance of such phenomena is quite common when the aqueous solution or brine present in the evaporation pond is close to saturation or even saturated with respect to at least one of the salts contained in the solution. As the brine to be concentrated enters the evaporation pond, saturation and precipitation occurs along substantially all of the flow interface between the brine flowing into the pond and the brine in the pond. The area of this interface can take up a substantial area of the pond since usually the density of the brine entering the pond is lower than that of the brine present in the pond causing this lower density and lighter brine to float on the brine in the pond for a substantial distance into the pond.
Furthermore, the growths and deposits present in such ponds have often been found to contain quite large crystals and massive crystal growths making their removal difficult.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of and means for controlling precipitation and the extent of deposits in an evaporation pond or ponds wherein the problems and disadvantages as outlined are reduced or substantially overcome.